2014-06-28

A new report commissioned by a working group
sanctioned by the National Cancer Institute
asserts that USA's practice of oncology
is in need of a host of reforms and initiatives
to mitigate the problem of overdiagnosis and overtreatment .. our 40-year long 'War on Cancer'
has been waged against a vastly misunderstood 'enemy'.
and the diagnosis of "cancer"
should not be applied to the many cases of
low-risk lesions like DCIS and HGPIN
(ductal carcinoma in situ, and
high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia);
instead, those conditions should be labeled something like
indolent lesions of epithelial origin (IDLE).
. x-ray based breast screenings
are not only highly carcinogenic but are also causing
an epidemic of "overdiagnosis" and "overtreatment"
. for women undergoing annual breast screening
the likelihood over 10 years of being
diagnosed with a false positive is over 50% .
. overdiagnosis results from the fact that
screen-detected 'cancers' are disproportionately
slower growing ones, presenting with few symptoms,
and would never progress to cause harm
if left undiagnosed and untreated.
. it is the fast-growing tumors which will be
more difficult to 'detect early',
and will progress rapidly enough to cause symptoms
unless treated aggressively.